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Published : 25 Aug 2024, 09:21 PM
Feni, a town usually just a few hours away from Dhaka by road, now feels unreachable for many, with severe flooding disrupting all usual routes. INTRO/LEAD IS ONE SENTENCE IN 99% COPIES
One of the worst floods in recent memory has submerged the southeastern district/ town???!, making it impossible for buses to reach the town.
A visit to a bus counter in Dhaka revealed that no buses were heading to Feni.
The flooding, which has engulfed Feni and neighbouring districts like Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, and Noakhali, has made the journey extremely difficult. Even Feni town, usually safe due to its higher elevation, is now underwater.
The critical Dhaka-Chattogram highway, which connects Feni, has been severely affected, with parts of the road submerged from Wednesday night.
From early Thursday morning until noon, nearly two kilometres of road from the end of Nabagram Road in Cumilla to Chauddagram Bazar was submerged.
Simultaneously, at least five kilometres of the highway in the Lalpul area of Feni went underwater, with water reaching knee to waist level in some areas.
Though water levels on the highway began to recede slightly on Saturday morning, allowing some vehicles to pass, long traffic jams continued to plague the route.
Rail connections have also been severely impacted, with the line to Chattogram cut off due to the submerged tracks in Feni.
Cargo trains to the port have been halted as well.
Train services between Chattogram and the rest of the country remain suspended, said Nahid Hasan Khan, a spokesperson for Bangladesh Railway.
At bus counters in Dhaka, staff confirmed that buses were not running to Feni as usual.
With the highway submerged after Mohipal area in Feni, regular bus services to Chattogram have also been disrupted.
However, some travellers have been taking alternative routes through Noakhali and Lakshmipur, though the journey is much longer.
At Dhaka’s Golapbagh on Sunday, Ekushey bus counter employee Russell, who gave a single name, was explaining to passengers how to reach Feni by breaking the journey into smaller segments.
Speaking with some passengers revealed that many were opting for the longer route through Noakhali and Lakshmipur to reach Feni, despite the challenges.
One bus from Himachal Transport, scheduled to depart at 8:30am, finally left at 9am.
The bus initially encountered a minor traffic jam near Gouripur after Daudkandi but managed to proceed after a 20-minute delay.
As the bus approached Cumilla, the roads were crowded with relief trucks, pickup vans, and covered vans heading to the flood-hit areas, some even carrying small boats.
Md Zahirul Islam, a 69-year-old passenger, said although he had seen floods in Feni and surrounding areas before, this was the first time he had heard of such severe flooding.
"I’ve never heard of water entering Feni town, especially not the main road. With the ongoing rain, I heard on the news that water levels are expected to rise again," said the businessman from Dhaka’s Motijheel area.
He added: "I have two relatives in Feni, but I haven’t been able to reach them by phone for the past three days. There might be no electricity, or I just can’t connect with them."
As the bus passed Bagmara in Lalmay and approached Sonaimuri around noon, the severity of the flood became apparent.
Water had just begun to cover the road in some places, while in others, it was nearly touching the edges.
To get updates on the situation in Feni, bdnews24.com spoke to Ziauddin, a student from Jahangirnagar University who gave only his first name. He had been involved in relief work in Feni for the past three days.
He said relief efforts were being coordinated from the deputy commissioner’s office and that one could get an idea of the situation in different areas by visiting there.
However, he was unable to provide information on the route from Chaumuhani to Feni.
Upon reaching Chaumuhani around 1pm, heavy rain began to pour, with ankle-deep water on the road.
As the journey toward Chaumuhani town continued, it was clear that the flood had caused significant waterlogging and traffic jams on the roads.
Dip Roy, a businessman from Napiterpool in the Sadar area, said many people from the surrounding areas had taken refuge in hotels in the town due to the floods.
When asked about the possibility of reaching Feni, he said: "Some buses and CNG-powered autorickshaws are going that way. Check how far they go; I heard they reach close to Senbagh, but I’m not sure."
